Molecular compounds of uranium are used for understanding the behavior and properties of light actinides for environmental and aqueous processing, materials for nuclear fuel cycles, and for other applications [1, 2]. Simple, safe, and inexpensive access to molecular compounds of uranium is important for developing molecular uranium chemistry.
Uranium tetrachloride (UCl4) and the tetrahydrofuran (THF) adduct of uranium triiodide UI3(THF)4 are the currently most popular starting materials for synthesizing molecular compounds of uranium(IV) and uranium(III) [3-10]. Problems associated with synthesizing these starting materials have prompted efforts to find suitable replacements. UI3 has been suggested as a suitable replacement for UI3(THF)4, but harsh conditions and special equipment are needed to prepare UI3 [11-15].
Lewis base adducts of UI4 have been reported as having limited thermal stability or as being incompatible with strong nucleophiles [16-20]. UI4(diethyl ether)2 [21-22] could be a replacement for UI4, but the preparation of UI4(diethyl ether)2 is complicated and requires special equipment.